But the problem with Homefront isn't just that it sucks, which it certainly does. The problem is that it reveals just how badly many first-person shooters are starting to suck. It's a game that magnifies the preexisting trend of developing to the lowest common denominator.

Crysis 2's shiny graphics are nice and all, but the Nanosuit is the true star of the show. Offering a true sense of power rarely seen in modern shooters, it helps to make this one of the most exciting games of the year.

Crysis 2's shiny graphics are nice and all, but the Nanosuit is the true star of the show. Offering a true sense of power rarely seen in modern shooters, it helps to make this one of the most exciting games of the year.

The problem with Homefront isn't just that it sucks, which it certainly does. The problem is that it reveals just how badly many first-person shooters are starting to suck. It's a game that magnifies the preexisting trend of developing to the lowest common denominator.

Okami fans will be spellbound with nostalgia while finding plenty new to enjoy, and fans of Zelda-esque adventures will be hard pressed to find another portable game so engaging in the twilight of Nintendo's soon-to-be replaced Nintendo DS hardware.

Trion's ad campaigns promised a revolution; Rift itself merely delivers commendable refinement.

A vast improvement from recent Total War missteps, and revitalizes the glory of the original Shogun, while adding so much new and interesting content that you might not even remember said original. And this one, finally, does right by newcomers, making things as easy and as polished as a game of StarCraft II.

For a standalone expansion pack, Retribution does pretty much everything right; it has a ton of content, and it makes that content more accessible and more fun than it was in DoW2, although it's still probably not going to appeal to gamers who are fans of a more traditional, gather-build-rush RTS formula.

My biggest critique comes in the form of companion customization; you can't upgrade armor for your party members.

Definitely one of the most unique shooters I've played in some time. The combination of its over-the-top story and inventive, addictive gameplay make it a memorable experience from start to finish. Most of all, it's downright fun -- something lacking in too many games these days.

MvC3 tends to emphasize flash over substance... and that's totally cool, for some folks, as MvC3 is going to divide the fighting game audience, including series faithful. Some will like that it's more accessible (if a bit stripped down), while others will decry the dumbing-down of their favorite series and its lack of arcade sauce.

MvC3 tends to emphasize flash over substance... and that's totally cool, for some folks, as MvC3 is going to divide the fighting game audience, including series faithful. Some will like that it's more accessible (if a bit stripped down), while others will decry the dumbing-down of their favorite series and its lack of arcade sauce.

With development teams like Criterion and Black Rock constantly raising the bar, it's unfortunate to see a racing game as passionless as Test Drive Unlimited 2. Ambitious map size and amazing architecture (seriously, some of the purchasable homes are incredible) can't make up for lackluster racing.

Oh, and it's taken three games, but the team at developer Guerrilla Games has finally provided players with the definitive Killzone multiplayer experience.

SOE tried, and failed, to straddle the line between action game and MMO. Think Crackdown -- but with all of the concessions, limitations, and annoyances of a mediocre massively multiplayer game.

The hero's newfound voice adds an emotional impact and resonance that the original game sorely lacked, and I genuinely wanted to see Isaac conquer his inner demons nearly as much as the outer variety. In such an intense game (one of the most intense I've ever played), it's funny that the quiet moments were the one that really stood out.

The hero's newfound voice adds an emotional impact and resonance that the original game sorely lacked, and I genuinely wanted to see Isaac conquer his inner demons nearly as much as the outer variety. In such an intense game (one of the most intense I've ever played), it's funny that the quiet moments were the one that really stood out.

BioWare took the existing narrative and didn't just continue it, but built it into the framework of this sequel. Games like Quest for Glory and Baldur's Gate tip-toed in these waters years ago, and Dragon Age: Origins showed us real consequences just recently, but ME2 creates true continuity, where every decision truly matters.

Now, if the story mode were the only thing available, you'd find a noticeably lower score up at the top there. As it is, though, so much is here for both players and creators, that it's impossible not to praise the whole package.

Cataclysm effortlessly mixes the casual focus of Wrath of the Lich King with the decidedly more challenging endgame prospects of classic WoW.

Short games aren't immediately terrible, but even the short ones ought to have something to justify their length as much as the long ones.

None can deny that it's a huge step forward.

None can deny that it's a huge step forward.

Though I still don't know what a perfect game of DX looks like, the fact that I'm still glued to it (despite -- at this point -- finishing what I estimate to be maybe one actual five-minute game in any given hour) should give you a pretty clear idea of how I feel about it.

If you buy one PSP title this year, Ghost of Sparta is a safe bet for the best game you're going to get.

Though I still don't know what a perfect game of DX looks like, the fact that I'm still glued to it (despite -- at this point -- finishing what I estimate to be maybe one actual five-minute game in any given hour) should give you a pretty clear idea of how I feel about it.

All about the thrill. Whether you're immersed in a tense, low-speed cat and mouse standoff, praying you don't nail a spike strip at 200 MPH, or simply drinking in the carnage you hath wrought, you'll find little else like it.

Online or offline, GoldenEye is easily one of the better first-person shooters on the Wii, and its online experience is great by any console's standards.